


Love, Death, and the Demons in Between.

by Josey (cestus)



Category: Bleach
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Demons, Drugged Sex, Dubious Consent, Furry, Incubus Byakuya, M/M, Tails, Wings, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:24:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5090642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/pseuds/Josey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were eyes on him from when he first arrived at the 6th. Renji had expected it. With his hair and tattoos and Inuzuri accent, he was different enough from most shinigami in Kuchiki's Noble Reason division that it followed they'd be keeping tabs. But when, about a week later, he woke up with the feeling that someone was watching him sleep, that was a different matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on that wonderful depiction of Byakuya as an incubus in the Halloween special. Thanks as always to [ junko](http://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko) for the awesome beta/cheer leading. This has been lurking on my hdd for three years waiting for me to finish it and she provided the push I needed to shove it over the line.
> 
> Expect one chapter a day from now till the 31st.

Renji jerked into wakefulness, fingers curling around Zabimaru and pulse thundering in his throat. The late spring night had been warm enough for him to leave the screen door slightly open, so now he lay on his futon staring out at a new moon riding high above scudding clouds.

The rain had stopped. But that wasn't what'd woken him.

He wasn't exactly sure what had. A creak of board, maybe? The scratch of silk against paper. Both sounded plausible, though he couldn't remember hearing either. The only thing he knew for certain was, someone had been watching him.

Quietly, and with a care that verged on paranoia, Renji pushed back the covers and rolled to his feet. If anyone was out there, he didn't want to give them the heads-up that he was on to them. Clad only in his tatty sleeping yukata, he padded to the end of the room opposite the main door, slipped through into the adjoining storage space and out onto the veranda. From there, only a single corner lay between him and a perfect view of any intruder.

Drawing Zabimaru, he paused for a second, back pressed to the corner pillar of the building before spinning out onto the walkway that ran along the outside of his room, bare foot slapping against wood and a kiai bursting from his lips.

The guard, coming out of the toilet at the other end of the building, shrieked and dropped his torch. Flame spilt dangerously close to the screens as he fumbled for his zanpakutō.

Oh, for fuck's sake. What sort of reaction was that for a trained shinigami. Renji huffed a disapproving breath as he sheathed Zabimaru. "Stand down, Shizu," he said, "and put that out before it sets the barrack on fire."

"Oh, it's only you, lieutenant," the guard blurted, shooting a relieved look up at Renji before scurrying to follow orders. "I thought for sure we'd been invaded by a horde of demons."

Part of that at least was accurate. "Nah, only one," Renji replied, squinting into depressingly empty shadows. "Hey, you see anyone else hanging around out here?"

Shizu stamped out the last of the flames, re-lit the torch with an enviable display of kidō and said, "No, sir. Quiet as the grave all night."

Just as Renji thought. Whoever it was must have escaped then. Damn it. "Okay, thanks. Carry on."

With a brisk bow, Shizu did as he was told, vanishing a few moments later back round the corner of the building to continue his patrol.

Renji lingered, instinct telling him the trail wasn't entirely cold. He trod quietly up the walkway, stopping every couple of steps to bounce on the balls of his toes to test for creaky boards. There were none. Nor were there any footprints or pieces of thread conveniently snagged in the screen door. In short, there wasn't a scrap of evidence that anyone had been there at all.

Had he been imagining things?

Standing where the peeping tom must have stood, Renji peered into his new quarters, at his futon with the quilt flipped back and the pillow still tilted at a crazy angle, at his clothes chest standing against the far wall with his shihakushō neatly folded on top, and at the stand for Zabimaru.

Everything was exactly the way he'd left it.

Maybe the change of venue had rattled his nerves more than he thought.

He didn't have to look any further than this room for an example of how different his life was now. For one thing, compared his narrow bunk-room back at the 11th, this new one was huge, and for another, it belonged entirely to him, which meant that, for the first time in his life, Renji was sleeping alone. So yeah, he guessed it wasn't really surprising that his imagination had got carried away and created bogeymen where none really existed.

Feeling incredibly dumb, Renji yanked the door open further and stomped back inside. As he went to shut it behind him, something moved on the roof opposite. For an instant Renji thought he saw a winged figure standing on the apex, framed against the night sky, and then clouds swept over the moon and it was gone. Melted into the night like it had never been.

"Seeing things," he muttered to himself, pulling the door tightly closed. But try as he may, he couldn't get another wink of sleep that night.

*

"Is there a problem, Abarai?" Kuchiki-taichō asked the following morning as they went over the weekly reports.

Standing on the opposite side of the desk, Renji smothered yet another a yawn and managed a slightly garbled, "No, sir," as he handed over the next document for his captain's perusal.

Kuchiki-taichō seemed unconvinced. "Perhaps this promotion to lieutenant has come too fast for you, after all," he said as his brush hovered over the page.

"I've got the power for it," Renji shot back hurriedly. He did to. Bankai was there, so close he could taste it.

Cool grey eyes lifted and Renji swallowed at the slight hint of disapproval reflected in them, when all he wanted - all he'd ever wanted - was this man's recognition. "I am aware that you have the power, Renji, I was referring to the duties. Perhaps they're too onerous for you."

"No, it's not that, sir, honestly." Crap, Kuchiki-taichō wouldn't fire him, would he? Not just for yawning. "I couldn't sleep last night. It's very…" Renji thought about his room and the long hours straining his ears into the silence, waiting for something to happen. He sighed. "It's quiet, is all, compared to the 11th."

"Ah," Kuchiki-taichō nodded, returning to his reading much to Renji's relief. "Yes, I should imagine life here is somewhat different from that at your previous division."

You have no idea, Renji thought as headed back to his own office. Zaraki-taichō had to be bribed with the promise of a fight to get his stamp on even the most essential documentation. Everything else Renji had learnt to fudge after Iba left. It was amazing how good you got at rules and forms and such when you had to manage a division's paperwork effectively alone. Working at the 6th by comparison, was a cinch.

Sleeping now? That was proving more of a challenge.

That night, Renji found sleep virtually impossible. Even after jamming the door closed and laying the unsheathed Zabimaru beside him, he still couldn't get more than than a few minutes at a time. And every time he jerked awake, it was with that same feeling; that someone was watching him. Several times he got up to check, and found the walkway empty with no evidence of anyone having been around. Eventually, he gave up and went to watch the sunrise from the top of the wall. The whole thing was getting past a joke.

The following night was no better and, by the time Renji stumbled into the office on the morning of the third day, keeping his eyes open was pure sandpapered pain, his mouth tasted like a camel had crapped in it, and he was starting to look like he'd gone a couple of rounds with his old captain.

His new one ordered him straight off to the 4th, with instructions to fix himself or face the consequences. Isane took one look, prescribed a good night's sleep and sent him home again with 'relaxation' powders and a warning not to consume them with alcohol.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. There may have been conversations and maybe even worried looks. He seemed to recall showing Kuchiki-taichō the packets Isane had given him, though for the life of him, Renji couldn't remember any of the details.

Sundown found him sitting on his bed, tearing a packet open with shaking fingers and emptying the contents straight into his mouth. A swig of cold tea later and Renji collapsed face-down with Zabimaru clutched to his chest, and waited for sleep.

It didn't take long to come, and when it did, it hit like a sledge hammer, stealing sense and feeling and sending him spiralling down into blissful oblivion.

Had there been any justice, he would have woken the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to face the day. Instead his room was still swathed in darkness when his eyes forced themselves open.

Still mostly asleep, Renji lay listening to the sounds of the night. Light rain had started up again and one particularly insistent drip kept perfect time inside his head. Wind soughed through the trees and in the far distance, voices rose in song.

Then he heard it; the definite scuff of a footfall outside his door.

Struggling for alertness, Renji tried to move but found limbs and body still heavy with exhaustion. Even as part of his brain fought to wake up, insisting that he get up and do something, his eyes fluttered closed and sleep dragged him back down.

*

A wooden door slid in its grooves - open and closed. A board creaked. Clothing rustled.

Someone was in his room.

Cool air ghosted across Renji's body as his quilt was lifted and moved away. Some part of his mind screamed at him to wake up, that lying here with an unknown assailant behind him was asking to get his throat cut, but reacting was beyond him. Further than the most distant star and just as unreachable.

Instead of the expected blade, strong hands rolled him over. Renji flopped onto his back, arms spread wide and head tilted, exposing his neck. Zabimaru tumbled from lax fingers with no more than a sleepy, disgruntled grumble. Whatever this drug was, its effects didn't stop with the shinigami, they affected the zanpakutō as well. Renji had just enough brain power to register the level of threat that posed, before his thoughts fuzzed and slipped once again, tugging him back down into warmth and rest.

*

Something was touching his face. Gentle brushes against his forehead and down his neck, tracing over collarbones and upper arms. His tattoos, he realised. The marks Zabimaru had inscribed on his skin to make him their own, to let the world know about the demon within.

Goose-bumps raced across his skin. Renji shivered as the same fingers tracked across ribs and abs, drifting lower to skate up his thighs. And with them came whispers on the wind,

"Beautiful."

"Strong."

"Powerful."

The words, spoken with unfathomable depth and calm, spun into life on their own, twisting into Renji's dreams until reality and fantasy became one. He seemed to remember lips, and kisses that stole his breath. A tongue, that twined with his own in a dance that described wonders. Hands that claimed, teeth that bit deep into his soul, and wings that carried him higher than the sky itself.

Ecstasy crested and peaked, throbbing in pace with his racing heart as he was held, perfectly balanced on a tipping edge, while suns bloomed and died and worlds turned to dust around him.

Then a single word echoed from the infinite, "Mine."

Power erupted from Renji's core in answer to that call, scouring body and soul as it screamed out, taking his voice along with it. Existence narrowed until this was the sum of it, past and present merging into one moment's desperate ecstatic cry.

And every drop, every pulse, every shivered tremor, met the same end. Captured and consumed, swallowed down until nothing remained. Not a single trace that it had ever been.

Before thought fled entirely, Renji caught the briefest glimpse - of wings and horns, and bone-white kenseikan in sable hair.

"Taichō?" he murmured.

"Sleep, Renji," came the reply. "And forget all of this before you wake."

Lids fluttered closed on a deep sense of regret and a pale face turning its beauty towards the night.


	2. Chapter 2

"Good morning, Abarai-fukutaichō!"

Renji glanced up from an intense internal debate over the relative merits of omelet over fish and whether he had the guts to ask for two portions of each, to find a kid with beads in his hair and a single tattoo above his left eyebrow beaming at him from the other side of the counter. "Morning… er, Rikichi, isn't it?"

The grin got wider. "That's right, sir. Thanks for remembering me. What would you like for breakfast this morning?"

Anything that wasn't nailed down, was Renji's first thought. Normally he made do with a quick snack first thing in the morning, but today he'd woken ravenously hungry, and a quick raid of his ration stash had done nothing to take the edge off.

On the other hand, he also felt better than he had in days. Rested and recharged, like all the cobwebs had been blown away from inside his head. Whatever was in that medicine of Isane's was brilliant. All he had to do was get some food inside him and he'd be better than ever.

To that end, he was about to ask if he could get some rice porridge to help bulk out his portion, when his stomach let rip with growl worthy of Zabimaru.

Not much point trying to be discreet now, was there. Renji shrugged and pressed his hand to his belly. "Give me whatever's going," he said, "Just make it double portions, will ya?"

Apparently being an officer came with perks. Rikichi piled the food on without argument and Renji was soon toting his loaded tray off to start work.

He'd been at it long enough to accumulate a decent pile of completed papers when a summons came to attend Kuchiki-taichō in his office. Despite the size of the breakfast he'd eaten, Renji was still feeling a bit peckish, so he grabbed the paperwork he'd finished in one hand and a couple of onigiri in the other, and headed over.

Since he was still eating, Renji paused in the corridor outside the captain's office. The door was ajar and Kuchiki-taichō was just visible through the gap. Early morning shadows striped across the room and for a brief moment they crowned the captain with horns and rose as great black wings above his shoulders. And then he moved, looking up in Renji's direction and the illusion vanished.

"Renji? Come in here and stop lurking. It's unbecoming of a lieutenant."

Renji stuffed the last of the rice ball in his mouth and chewed furiously as he pushed the door open.

The captain was still speaking, "I've requested that Unohana-taichō sees you at her first-" he paused, frowning. "Are you eating?"

Renji swallowed hard. "Not any more, sir," he said, holding out the documents.

Kuchiki-taichō took them with a vaguely puzzled look. "And these are?"

"New recruit assessments. You said you wanted them done ASAP."

"I did." The captain's expression grew even more confused as he flicked through the pages. "You've done all these this morning?"

"Yeah." Renji coughed a quiet laugh. "Thought I'd better make up for slacking off these past couple of days. Sorry about that. Won't happen again."

"Then the powders from Kotetsu-fukutaichō-?"

"Worked like a dream," Renji said. As he spoke, his eyes drifted to pale lips, slightly parted and glistening in the morning sunlight. So kissable. A sudden urge hit him, to take his captain in his arms and plunge his tongue into that open, willing-

Renji's belly contracted sharply with desire and it was all he could do not to take a step back in shock. He forced his gaze to the floor and stared blindly at the matting.

Where the fuck had that thought come from? Okay, he was no stranger to finding guys attractive, but Kuchiki-taichō? The man might be drop-dead gorgeous, but he'd tear Renji's dick off and feed it to him if he got even a whiff of thoughts like that going through Renji's head.

"Are you sure there were no side effects?" The captain was saying, apparently oblivious to the partial meltdown going on the other side of his desk. "You look a little pale."

Okay, maybe not totally oblivious. "Slept like a log, sir, and I feel great this morning, honestly," Renji replied, eyes still down. Of course his stomach chose that moment to growl hungrily again. This time Renji's laugh carried a small edge of chagrin. "Unless you count the appetite. Can't seem to stop eating for some reason."

Silence.

Nervously, Renji lifted his eyes to find Kuchiki-taichō staring at him in utter fascination. It was such an unexpected expression to find on the normally stoic captain's face that Renji automatically glanced back over his shoulder to see if there was something other than himself that had elicited it. There wasn't. And the door behind him was firmly closed.

He was very glad it was when he felt his captain's reiatsu reach for him, brushing against his arms and hands, exploring him a bit like a curious child with a new toy. "And that is all? Just an increased appetite. No lingering exhaustion or weakness?" Kuchiki-taichō asked. His reiatsu pressed against the middle of Renji's chest and then moved lower in painstakingly slow increments.

Renji shook his head, unable to speak as the touch became too intimate, too fast. Crap, he was going to embarrass himself any moment if the captain didn't stop touching him like that. And yet, when the contact vanished, just before the crucial moment, Renji felt bereft, like he was losing something he should remember having.

"You will see Unohana-taichō anyway," Kuchiki-taichō said, calmly returning to his work as though he hadn't been all but stroking Renji's dick with his reiatsu just a moment before. "The appointment is in half an hour."

Which gave Renji just enough time to grab another quick snack and get across Seireitei to the 4th.

*

The last person he expected to run into when he arrived there was Ichimaru Gin. Hearing that wheedling sly tone heading towards the main doors, Renji reversed down the steps of the main building and turned his back on them, hoping that would somehow be enough to get him overlooked. No such luck.

"Abarai-kun," Ichimaru said, coming and standing on the step behind him and peering over Renji's shoulder. "Fancy seeing you here. Nothing too serious, I hope?" This close, he smelt sweet and musky with overtones of old blood. Renji had no idea how Kira put up with it.

"Nothing wrong at all, sir," Renji said, sliding a step sideways out of reach, then turning to dip a respectful bow. "Just a routine check-up." Which was a blatant lie, but his real reason for coming was nothing to do with Ichimaru.

"Is that so," Ichimaru replied. "Looked to me like Kuchiki-taichō finally took my advice and picked a tasty one. How ya settling in there at the 6th?"

Renji straightened and found himself the target of an even wider smile than usual. What the hell was Ichimaru getting at? That he was the one to put Renji's name forward for promotion? The idea would be laughable, if it was anyone but Ichimaru saying it. In Renji's experience, the man might be a creep and a slimeball, but he didn't lie. He didn't have to. He caused enough trouble telling the truths people didn't want to hear.

Still, Renji wasn't about to call him out for it. However much Zabimaru might snarl and hiss when Ichimaru was around, they weren't ready yet to take the guy on. Plus Renji wasn't sixth seat at the 11th anymore. He had the reputation of a new division to uphold, and Kuchiki-taichō probably wouldn't appreciate his lieutenant being rude to another captain in public, so Renji replied in the politest possible way, "I'm settling in well, sir, thank you for asking."

The smile, if anything, got wider. "And ya new duties? Not too draining for ya?"

An odd way of putting it. Plus Ichimaru had to know that compared to the 11th, what Renji was doing now was easy work. He'd walked in on Renji complaining to Kira often enough.

Renji frowned. "Nothing I can't handle," he said, skirting the boundaries of rudeness. He tempered it with another bow. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get going. I've got an appointment with Unohana-taichō."

"My, my! In that case, don't let me hold you up," Ichimaru said, sweeping off down the steps.

Renji watched him go before making a break for it himself, but just as he thought he'd made a clean getaway, Ichimaru called out, "Give my regards to Rukia-chan, when you see her."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Rukia was in the Living World right now and how did Ichimaru even know her? Renji almost walked face-first into the main doors, trying to figure it all out.

*

Unohana-taichō was waiting for him by the time Renji finally arrived at the right room. Renji shuffled inside to find her seated at a desk, surrounded by machinery that looked like it might be on loan from the 12th. Behind her, against the wall, stood a trolley partly obscured by a screen.

She glanced up and every excuse for his tardiness fled under her expression of stern disapproval. "I'm glad to see you've finally decided to join us, Abarai-fukutaichō," she said. "Please go behind the curtain and strip off. You'll find a gown on the trolley."

Strip? "I thought this was just about me not being able to sleep properly?" Renji queried, though he wasn't stupid enough not to immediately start doing as he was told. "Not sure why you need me naked for that," he added with an embarrassed laugh as he peeled off shitagi and kosode.

"I think that sort of decision is best left to the medical staff, don't you," Unohana said as she rose to her feet and turned towards him. She was smiling, and it was vastly more terrifying than her annoyed face.

Renji swallowed hard, clutched his loosened hakama in one hand, Zabimaru in the other, and tried to stop his knees from shaking. "Absolutely, Unohana-taichō-san. Whatever you say, Ma'am."

"I'm glad you understand." She stopped in front of him, lifted Zabimaru from his trembling fingers and said, "I'll be taking this, thank you."

Of all the things she could of done to him, that was the only one that could have galvanised Renji into action. No one messed with his Zabimaru. Even so, he couldn't muster up any more than a worried, "Ah-?" as she turned away. His stomach, of course, chose that moment to rumble loudly.

She paused and looked back at him, one perfect brow arched in question.

"Um, sorry," he said, as it did it again at twice the volume. "I'm really hungry."

"So Kuchiki-taichō informed us," she said, continuing on her way, "which is why we are giving you a complete physical, including the complementary examination of your zanpakutō." As she closed the door behind her, she added, "Please lie on the trolley when you're ready, Abarai-kun. Isane will be along to see to you soon."

It turned out a full physical was just like an annual one, with the addition of a couple of machines Renji hadn't been hooked up to before, which beeped and glooped and whistled while he did sit-ups and press-ups, and again later, after Zabimaru had been returned to him, as he released shikai. By the end of it, his stomach was growling almost constantly and Renji was feeling light-headed with hunger.

"Almost there," Isane said, as she tugged the sticky pads off his chest, "then you can go and eat."

Renji grinned at her. She'd been kind of cute all the way through the testing, so he ventured out on a limb, "Fancy coming with me? We could grab something, maybe sit and chat for a while?"

Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink. "Oh no, that would be entirely inappropriate, don't you think?" she said.

"Right," Renji said, with a nod to himself, "Doctor patient stuff."

"Yes, that, but there's Kuchiki-taichō as well. I mean, with you and him being…" The words faded as her blush deepened.

"Me and him being, what exactly?" Renji replied, his hunger fading as an uneasy feeling started to grow in his belly. Was this what Ichimaru had been on about? Did people think he'd got the promotion because he was fucking his captain? Or being fucked, more likely. He knew how these things were supposed to work. "There ain't no me and him. At least not like that."

Isane stared up at him, a horrified expression on her face. "I-I," she stammered.

"I think that's enough for now, Isane," Unohana said from the doorway. "Please leave us."

"Y-yes, taichō," Isane stuttered and damn nearly sprinted out of the room.

Unohana waited until the door was closed before saying, "I must apologise, Abarai-fukutaichō. Isane's behaviour was completely inexcusable."

Which wasn't at all the same thing as saying Isane was wrong. Damn it, did Unohana think he was fucking his captain too?

"Look," Renji said, "I dunno where that rumour's come from, but just for the record, it ain't true."

The silence which greeted his claim was about as far from the reassurance Renji had been looking for as it was possible to get.

*

Having escaped from the 4th, Renji headed for the commercial district and food. He couldn't face the 6th, not yet at least. Not until he'd worked out how he felt about this rumour.

Miserably, he grabbed a couple of baked sweet potatoes from a street vendor and sat on a wall to eat them. The street wasn't crowded, but there were enough people around for Renji to start imagining things. Like people staring at him. Judging him.

The irony of the whole thing was that he'd been imagining exactly the same scenario Isane was suggesting just that morning. The sex part, anyway. And if it was just that, then Renji wouldn't even need a second thought. Kuchiki-taichō was gorgeous. Renji would fuck him in heartbeat. But he wouldn't do it just to get a promotion, and having people think that that was what was going on, hurt.

Renji had worked hard to get where he was. He'd started with less than nothing and made it all the way to the second highest rank in the Gotei 13. And every bit of it had been through skill and grit and application.

And okay, some luck and a damn good teacher. Without Ikkaku-senpai, he'd probably still be languishing in the 11th's lower ranks getting his ass handed to him by the likes of Maki-Maki. But he'd made that opportunity for himself and then grabbed it with both hands and wrung everything out of it that he could.

He'd fought and struggled and worked his ass off to reach sixth seat, and when Kira and Momo had brought that offer from Kuchiki-taichō, Renji might have been as nervous as hell, but he'd felt like he was ready for it. That the rank of lieutenant was something that he, Abarai Renji from Inuzuri, finally deserved.

So he'd taken it and for the first time in his life, he'd permitted himself to walk tall, proud of his heritage and his achievements.

Only to find out that people thought he'd bent over for it.

Fuck.

The food tasted like ashes in his mouth. Renji stuffed the rest in anyway, his eating habits too ingrained not to finish what was in his hand whatever it tasted like. Which just went to prove that it didn't matter how far he went, he was still an Inuzuri pup at heart. And probably always would be. Nothing more than a liar, a thief and cur in the eyes of most of those from Seireitei.

Not like Kuchiki-taichō, noble lord and honourable aristocrat. Renji'd bet every penny he'd ever earned that the captain had never spent a day hungry in life. Honestly, he and Renji couldn't be more unsuited as lovers if they tried, so why were people rushing to believe that it was true?

Or were they? Maybe it was just Isane. Or the 4th. Maybe…

Renji sat up straighter.

Maybe Kuchiki-taichō had said something when he made the appointment to make them think there was something going on.

But why the hell would he do that? Sure Renji's reputation was going to take a hit, but Kuchiki's would as well. Fucking your lieutenant wasn't exactly the done thing, and having people think you'd only promoted him so you had easy access was even worse.

Shit, this was getting stupid. He needed definite answers and there was only one person in Seireitei who'd have them. Well two, if you included Matsumoto, but if the rumour hadn't spread that far yet, asking her would guarantee it a new lease of life.

No, what he needed was someone who collected gossip like ammunition and horded it like precious jewels.

Renji hopped off the wall and stepped into shunpo. Next stop, the 11th.

*

"What the hell are you doing back here?" Ikkaku snarled in greeting as Renji landed beside him. He was laying on the roof of the main building, and going by the sake jug tucked under his arm and the way he was squinting, it was hair of the dog time. And only midday. Ikkaku must be on duty this afternoon.

"Yumi around?" Renji asked, not bothering to answer the question.

Ikkaku's scowl deepened. "Training the newbies. Bastard chucked us out. Spouted some crap about not being in a fit state to help. Stupid. Like fighting's something you gotta be ready for."

His fist tightened around Hōzukimaru and he threw back another deep swallow from the sake jug. Another half an hour or so and Yumichika would probably let him come back, Renji reckoned. By then Ikkaku should have remembered he was supposed to spar with the new recruits, not kill them.

The jug slammed down and a hand shot out, fastening round Renji's ankle with a steely grip. "Oi, I asked ya a question, shithead. Only chucked ya out a week ago. Wh'ya crawling back here so soon?"

Maybe an hour.

Renji hunkered down. Since he was stuck here for a moment anyway, he might as well ask. "You heard any rumours about me?"

Ikkaku stared at him blearily. Then his face split into a truly terrifying grin. "Ya mean apart from the one about the goat and the pickle jar."

Oh, for fuck's sake. "Yeah, apart from that one, which you damn well know isn't true since you started it, you bastard."

"Heh, good times." Another swig from the sake jar followed by a loud belch, then, "Wer'we talking about summat?"

Renji shook his head in amusement and peeled Ikkaku's fingers from his ankle. "I'm looking for Yumichika."

A loud scream came from below. Ikkaku rolled onto his side and squinted down at the training hall. "Reckon ya might have found him."

*

The bodies were stacked around the walls like firewood; moaning, bleeding firewood; and weapons of various types and sizes littered the floor. In the centre of it all stood Yumichika, zanpakutō in hand and not a hair out of place. Par for the course, Renji thought, surveying the wreckage from the doorway. For some reason, newbies always thought Yumichika was some kind of walkover. An opinion they quickly got disabused of.

"Renji, what a nice surprise," Yumichika called, picking his way through the injured and sheathing his sword as he came. "Don't tell me the 6th has thrown you out already."

Crap, that was a possibility that hadn't occurred to Renji. Would Kuchiki-taichō do that if he found out what people were saying about them? "No, not yet anyway," Renji replied. "Hey, have you got a minute or two?"

"Sure." Purple eyes gave the room a cynical look. "Unless anyone fancies round two?"

A guy in the corner who'd got as far as hands and knees, groaned and collapsed face first.

Yumichika flashed Renji a smile. "Apparently I'm all yours. Let's go somewhere more beautiful, shall we?"

They ended up on the veranda outside Yumichika's quarters, the ones he shared with Ikkaku, and Renji had to agree that it was much nicer than the dusty main courtyard. For one thing, the asagao crawling up the front of the building was in full bloom, so the air was kind of perfumed rather than reeking of sweaty socks and damp wood. For another they were far enough away from the main complex that the perpetual sounds of fighting were almost silent.

Renji took a sip of the tea Yumichika had given him and sighed. The 11th might not be his division any more, but it still felt like coming home.

"So what has brought you back to us?" Yumichika asked, putting a plate laden with matcha manjū between them before sitting down.

As he reached for one of the pale green cakes, Renji's stomach rumbled and he was getting so damned fed up with this. It felt like he'd done nothing but eat all day and it wasn't even lunchtime yet. "Rumours," he said, "of the personal kind."

"Do tell," Yumichika replied, helping himself to a cake and nibbling at the edges. "Anything delicious?"

"Not so much." Renji shot a quick look at his former superior. "You heard anything about my promotion?"

"Apart from some swooning over all the pretty hair, not a word."

That was good news, Renji guessed. Except it didn't answer the question as to where Isane had got her wrong ideas from. If it wasn't general gossip, could it have come from the captain? The trouble was, no matter which way Renji turned that idea, it still didn't seem logical. So, wishful thinking maybe? Yumichika had said that people had been talking. Had that just spun into more in Isane's mind?

"I thought the 6th was on home rotation at the moment," Yumichika said a couple of minutes later, "How did you pick up an injury?"

Renji, his mind still parsing through the problem with Isane, frowned. "I didn't."

"Then why are you eating like you are?"

That was why it all felt so familiar! Renji blinked in surprise at the cake in his hand, and then down at the almost empty plate. He'd eaten them all, just about. And if he'd been injured, he'd have done exactly the same thing.

"Is this a new thing?" Yumichika queried.

"Eh?" Renji said, glancing up. "I guess. It's only happened today. I've been having trouble sleeping, so I took this medicine the 4th gave me - just sleeping powders, nothing fancy - and when I woke up this morning, I couldn't stop eating. Why?"

"Because your reiatsu feels different." He paused and Renji could have sworn a hint of colour showed in his cheeks, "Well-used, like you've been drained down to nothing and had to fill up again."

Renji's mouth worked on thoughts that wouldn't form into words. There was that thing again that Ichimaru had said. Drained. And what Yumichika was describing was kind of how he'd felt this morning when he'd woken up. But how. Why? None of it made any sense.

"Renji, if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anyone else?"

"If it's about Ikkaku's bankai, I already know about it," Renji said automatically.

Yumichika laughed quietly. "He thinks it's such a well-kept secret, but no, it's not about that. This one's about me, and no one knows it, so you couldn't tell anyone, not even Ikkaku."

"So don't say anything!" Renji blurted. Whatever it was, he didn't want to know. Not if it was so secret that not even Ikkaku, the guy Yumichika had been with for almost two hundred years, didn't know.

"If I don't, you might die. And for some reason, I don't want to see that happen." The look he levelled at Renji was deadly serious. "There are zanpakutō that can suck the reiatsu from someone to the point of death. I know, because that's what Ruri'iro Kujaku's shikai does."

"Ruri…? Your zanpakutō's called Fuji Kujaku and its released form's a four-bladed sickle thing," Renji said, gesturing to demonstrate the way the blade split. "You showed me. I've fought it."

Yumichika's smile was small and kind of sad. "That's not my proper shikai." He slid his zanpakutō from his sash and, drawing it, ran one hand down the blade. "Rip apart madly, Ruri'iro Kujaku."

The command was different but the release looked identical. Until it didn't. Before Renji's disbelieving eyes, the four bladed weapon transformed into four slender reiatsu vines that shot towards Renji, catching him around the hands and feet and slamming him back against the side of the building, pinning him in place.

"What the hell!" Renji yipped, more in shock than anything else. He didn't think Yumichika would actually kill him, whatever wacky abilities his zanpakutō turned out to use.

It got scarier a moment later when the drain on his reiatsu started.

"Behold, Ruru'iro Kujaku, the true form of my zanpakutō," Yumichika said with more than a hint of self-mockery in his voice.

All along the length of the vines, buds formed, obviously powered by the reiatsu being leeched from Renji's body. In the back of Renji's mind, Zabimaru demanded that he fight, but there was so much care to what Yumichika was doing that Renji knew he was in no real danger.

Yumichika was using minimal reiatsu, and keeping it so tightly contained that no one nearby would have a clue there was anything happening back in this little secluded corner. Which, Renji realised, was completely deliberate. Yumichika was deadly serious about keeping this a secret.

"If I allowed them all to bloom, then you would fade and die," Yumichika was saying. "Ironic, ne, that I can never use such a thing in battle."

The prohibition against kidō swords in the 11th. Of course. And there was no way Yumichika would ever leave the 11th, since that would mean leaving Ikkaku and Zaraki. Ironic indeed, since he could probably give the pair of them a run for their money with a shikai like this.

The bud closest to Renji finally fattened and opened and, as it did so, the vines slid from Renji's limbs, leaving him slumped limp and breathless against the building.

As the vines faded back into sword form, Yumichika held out his hand, catching the flower as it fell, and brought it to his lips. His eyes met Renji's and Renji swallowed hard as he watched Yumichika suck every ounce of stolen energy from the single bloom. It was as erotic and terrifying a sight as Renji had ever seen.

It wasn't until Yumichika was sheathing his blade, and Renji's belly gave another loud rumble, that the point of the exercise got hammered home.

"You think someone at the 6th's got a zanpakutō like yours," he said, struggling to his feet.

Yumichika shrugged. The flower had vanished, but his cheeks were flushed. "Not someone," he said, and raised his eyes. They looked unnaturally bright, like he'd gotten high off Renji's reiatsu. "Kuchiki-taichō."

"Senbonzakura?" Renji said, wobbling back across the veranda and sitting back down heavily. "But that's a combat blade. I mean I know it looks like kidō-" The argument stalled in Renji's mouth as Yumichika patted his own sword, now tucked back through his obi. "Okay, point taken." It didn't matter what a zanpakutō looked like or was called, it might have hidden abilities.

Yumichika had a point. What Renji was feeling in the aftermath of that encounter wasn't the same as this morning, but it was similar enough. His reiatsu felt exercised, like after a long training session, and frankly Renji felt like he could use a nap and a good meal. Even Zabimaru was suspiciously silent and when Renji gave them a mental poke, the answer he got wasn't suitable for company.

"All I'm saying," Yumichika said, picking up his empty tea bowl and placing back on the tray, "is, be careful. A lot of people die around Kuchiki-taichō. The man either has the worst luck ever, or there's something else going on."


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Renji found himself giving his captain a very wide berth. And on those occasions when he couldn't, watching the man suspiciously out the corner of his eye. To all intents and purposes, Kuchiki-taichō seemed to be doing the same thing, though Renji was painfully conscious of eyes following him whenever he walked away.

The worst times were when they touched. Mercifully, those were rare; a brush of fingertips while handing over documents, a crossing of zanpakutō during a training exercise. But afterwards Renji was hyper-aware of every sensation, searching for any indication that this might be the time when Kuchiki-taichō had tried to steal his reiatsu.

It was stupid, of course. Last time he'd done it at night. In retrospect, that was obvious. He must have been the one spying on Renji, and when he found out that Renji had been prescribed a sleeping draught, he'd taken advantage.

Renji shuddered at the wording, his brush leaving a large blot of black ink on the form he was trying to complete. With a muttered curse, he laid the brush on its rest, screwed the form up into a ball and launched it at the bin. It bounced off the rim and joined the pile of others on the floor.

Fuck it. Jamming his elbows on the desk, Renji scrubbed at his eyes. He was getting tired again.

Now that he knew who was watching him, he was actually sleeping, but he'd slipped back into his old habits of half-dozing and springing alert at the slightest sound. Unfortunately he couldn't cat-nap his way through the daylight hours like he did as a kid, and the lack of quality sleep was really starting to take its toll.

Added to which was the slowly growing feeling that actually, he wouldn't mind that much if Kuchiki-taichō did steal his reiatsu, so long as Renji was awake when it happened. After all, it hadn't done anything drastic to him. So, he'd woken up with a whopping appetite. Big deal. So long as the division fed him, Renji didn't care about that. And there hadn't been any other side-effects, that he knew about.

_But not without your consent,_ Zabimaru growled in the back of his mind.

And that was the deal-breaker, wasn't it. The idea of Kuchiki-taichō, or anyone, doing things to him while he slept made Renji's skin crawl. To be that vulnerable, that unable to defend himself, went beyond disturbing and into the realm of nightmares.

But what to do about it? Things couldn't continue the way they were. Sooner or later, Renji was going to start slipping during the day and then it was just a matter of time before he was forced to take the sleeping powders again, and then the captain would have his opportunity.

And it wasn't like there was anyone Renji could tell. Who would believe him, an Inuzuri street rat, over Kuchiki Byakuya, the 28th head of a True First clan? Apart from Yumichika, that was, and Ichimaru-taichō, possibly. Unless Renji had been reading more into that conversation than he should have.

Renji stared blindly at the wall of his office, trying to wrap his head around his options. Was it worth approaching Ichimaru? If he did know about Kuchiki-taichō, would he be able to give Renji some idea how to get around this impasse?

It wasn't a comfortable idea. Renji didn't like the guy and never had, not even back when he'd been in the 5th. Then, Ichimaru had been his lieutenant and Renji had spent half his time fighting the urge to take the guy down. Not that he'd have been able to.

_Back then,_ Zabimaru said. _Now we could take him easily._

_No, we couldn't,_ Renji pointed out. _He's a captain and we don't even have bankai._

_Yet._

_Fine; yet. But until we do, I think it'd be a really good idea not to bite off more than we can chew, don't you?_

With a grumbling growl, Zabimaru subsided, but it put the lid on the decision for Renji. No way was he going to risk involving Ichimaru.

Having said that, it meant he was no further forward in solving his dilemma; there was no way he could sleep if he was at the 6th.

So maybe what he needed was to be somewhere other than the 6th so he could sleep.

*

"… and you were the first person I thought of," Renji finished in a rush and then stood there chewing his lip.

Hisagi, sitting at a desk piled so high with papers he almost disappeared behind them, squinted up at him. "Plumbing, you say."

Renji nodded, fingers crossed behind his back.

For a second Hisagi just stared at him and Renji thought he'd blown it. No way did the guy believe what even Renji had to admit was a dumb story. But he hadn't been able to think of anything else on the fly, so faulty plumbing it was keeping him from his own room.

Finally Hisagi sighed and scrubbed his hands through hair already sticking out at stupid crazy angles. "You know what, I don't care. The Bulletin's due out in two days, so it's not like I'm gonna be using it anyway." He yanked open a drawer and tossed a keyring at Renji, who just managed not to fumble the catch. "Have at it. Just clean up any messes you make, okay?"

Renji clenched his fist tight around the keys and nodded an appreciative bow. "Thanks, senpai, you're a life-saver."

*

Hisagi's room, tucked right down the end of a long narrow corridor, was smaller than Renji's and lacked the large screen doors. It also smelt of printing ink and paper, and had shelves along two walls, which was a bonus as far as Renji was concerned, since nothing about it reminded him of his place at all, and so sleeping should be that much easier.

With a relieved sigh, he set down his bedroll and poked it with his foot until it unrolled. Then he grabbed his yukata and washing bag and went to find the bath.

Half an hour later he was back, juggling keys, his uniform, Zabimaru and wet hair, and cussing quietly under his breath as he tried to unlock the door.

"Is there some reason you are attempting to break into my lieutenant's room?" said a stern voice right behind him.

Renji yelped, dropping keys and uniform and spinning round, Zabimaru halfway drawn before he registered who'd spoken. "Tōsen-taichō," he gasped with relief, letting his sword slide back into its sheath. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

Tōsen inclined his head slightly, expression utterly blank. "I ask again, is there some reason you are entering rooms which do not belong to you?"

"Erm," Renji said. He had no idea if Tōsen even knew who he was. They'd only met a couple of times when Renji had dropped by to chat to Hisagi. He decided to err on the side of caution. Dipping a respectful bow, he said, "Abarai Renji, sir, fukutaichō at the 6th division. I'm borrowing Hisagi-san's room for the night."

"Why? Is there some problem with your own?"

The plumbing problem wasn't going to fly here, Renji could tell. With a sinking feeling, he opted for the partial truth. "I was having problems sleeping and thought a change of venue might help."

"I see. In that case-" Before Renji could react, Tōsen had zanpakutō in hand, saying, "Sing, Suzumushi."

As the sound hit his ears and his brain gave up the fight for consciousness, Renji had just enough time to wonder if there were any captains in Seireitei who didn't want him asleep.

*

"Well now, this is a conundrum. Gin? Do you have an explanation?"

"It was just meant as a tease. To be honest with ya, even after he went and recruited the boy, I thought he was too good to take advantage."

"Apparently you thought wrong, and now he's driven Abarai away, making him potentially useless there as well."

Silence. Renji's mind drifted, sinking deep again, only for another voice to bring him back.

"The timing is suspicious. I say we terminate him to avoid complications."

"Ya know, I'm just not seeing how killing him's gonna do that. It sounds like one big complication to me."

"Agreed, although Kaname is right about the timing. It really couldn't be worse. The girl has been located and Central 46 must be dealt with tonight." A pause, then, "Handle this, will you, Gin? And meet us at Central's chambers afterwards. We'll need your speed if we're to operate at maximum efficiency."

"As ya command, Aizen-taichō."

The rustle of cloth and the sound of the door opening, then, "Oh, and Gin? Make sure Kuchiki feeds well. Since he's already got the taste, we may as well ensure he's thoroughly distracted until the execution."

*

At the edges of Renji's mind Zabimaru stalked and snarled. Renji could feel them, but that was all. The rest was stillness. Silence. He existed within a void, a vast nothingness-

_Only because you won't get up and fight._

Impossible. There was nothing to fight. Nothing to fight with. Nothing.

_Liar! We see, we hear, we feel._

_But I am not you._

_Then make us one. You've got the power, if you weren't too lily-livered to use it!_

_Stop calling me a freaking coward!_

_Then get off your ass and fight. Here!_

It wasn't much. Shadows and whispers, the scent of cotton close to his face. He couldn't move or speak or fight, but it was better than the nothingness from before.

"Why did you bring him here?"

"Na then, is that any way to speak to someone who brings ya prey back to ya? An' wrapped up too, all neat and tidy."

"He is my subordinate, not my prey. And I'll thank you to remove that kidō cloth before you suffocate him."

"Ah, so that's how it is. You shoulda said something if ya wanted to see his face."

The covering over his face ripped away and Renji found himself blinking blearily at a ceiling - that definitely wasn't his own, or Hisagi's for that matter. There was woven bamboo between the timbers. Where the hell was he?

"He's awake?" Without the cloth, the words and voices were clearer. That was definitely Kuchiki-taichō speaking.

"Not as such. And he won't be remembering any of this, if that's what's got you worried." Ichimaru. Renji had been right! He did know what was going on.

Which made him one up on Renji, right now. Licking parched lips, Renji managed a croaked, "Taicho?"

Shadows moved and then someone was leaning over him, a cool hand pressing to his brow. "Don't speak, Renji. Try to go back to sleep."

It was so tempting. He was so tired. His limbs felt like lead and his head was so muzzy. Under a soothing wave of reiatsu, lids fluttered closed, though something stopped Renji from drifting away entirely.

"Whether he remembers or not, this is unacceptable," Kuchiki-taichō said and Renji recognised the irritation in his voice. "Bringing him to the estate where anyone could see you."

"Ah relax. No one saw us, I made sure of that. So, ya gonna have a sip now you got him?"

"No. I've decided he isn't suitable."

"Ya can't damage the likes of him. You drained him almost dry to prove it and then got Unohana to check it for ya."

"Even so."

"So, what? Back on ya starvation diet? Think you can keep to yerself now you know what ya missing?" That wheedling tone. Despite being nine tenths asleep, it put Renji's teeth right on edge.

"That has never been in doubt. Unlike some, I am capable of controlling my instincts."

"Now then, there's no need to be rude. I was just sparing a thought for your cute little sister. Since she'd be the first ta suffer if the urge comes over you."

Sudden movement and a distinctive noise. Renji could imagine Kuchiki-taichō, his haori and scarf snapping in his reiatsu as he spun to glare at Ichimaru. Except, it was the middle of the night, so why would he be fully dressed? And if he wasn't, what else could make that flapping sound?

"What, precisely, do you mean by that?"

"Just that others ain't been so lucky, have they. Ya pa and grandpa, and then the lady Hisana." Yumichika was right. Kuchiki-taichō had killed off his family. Deliberately?

Familiar reiatsu boiled, followed by the sound of steel being drawn. "I have told you to never mention her name."

"Yare, yare, my apologies, rokubantai-taichō-san. I never meant to imply the deaths were your fault, but ya know if tragedy were ta strike again. The girl's not as strong-"

"Enough! You've made your point."

"Then you'll feed?"

Kuchiki-taichō's reiatsu wavered and then subsided. "I suppose that I must."

A cool hand caressed the side of Renji's face. Trapped inside his body, Renji could only submit, though a part of him wanted to turn towards the touch, to use it somehow to let Kuchiki-taichō know that if he would just let Renji go, then Renji would give him what he wanted. Because Renji would willingly give anything to protect Rukia.

But to have his power ripped out of him while he was helpless like this, and then to have memory stripped away as well, that was beyond wrong.

Lips followed the hand, tracing up Renji's neck leaving skin tingling in their wake, which was nice but- What the hell? Wasn't this supposed to be a power thing? So why were lips getting involved?

Renji's heartbeat kicked up a notch and his throat worked as he tried to speak.

"Shh. Don't fight it."

Fuck that! Of course he was going to fight. What sort of a wuss wouldn't?

Except he couldn't. Barring his churning thoughts, nothing was working properly. Renji couldn't even turn his head away as Kuchiki-taichō's lips met his and when that tongue swept into his mouth, Renji finally understood where the urge to kiss his captain had come from.

This must have been what happened last time. Kuchiki-taichō must have touched him like this and kissed him like this and, what? Had sex with him?

Lying there, being kissed and touched, Renji didn't know if that made it worse or better. In his imagination, the captain had simply siphoned off his power like some kind of big kidō leech. Knowing that sex had been a part of the equation turned the whole thing on its head. It made everything more intimate.

Had Kuchiki-taichō fucked him?

Renji didn't think so. He'd certainly not felt any lingering effects the morning after, and that wasn't a feeling you mistook for anything else.

So, he'd fucked Kuchiki-taichō? No, that didn't sound right either. Too complicated.

What then? Hands? Mouth?

A sudden visceral image of his captain, kneeling, lips stretched around Renji's cock, hit Renji like a sledgehammer. At the same moment, his yukata was tugged open, exposing him completely. Timing!

Renji heard a sharp intake of breath and then Ichimaru saying, "My, they really do go all the way down. I'd heard the rumours but hardly dared to believe."

Ichimaru was still in the room? Somehow that made everything nasty. Bad enough this was happening without that creep watching and getting off on it too. Renji tried to protest and only succeeded in making a grunting noise that sounded depressingly like he was enjoying himself. Especially as it coincided with a knowing hand closing around his half-hard dick.

"Feisty," Ichimaru said and Renji felt Kuchiki-taichō's reiatsu flare. "Get out," he snapped.

Listening as doors opened and closed, Renji felt almost grateful for his new privacy, until he remembered that the captain was the one who'd put him in this position in the first place.

Which of course brought back the vision of Kuchiki on his knees. And that, combined with the hand, was enough to send Renji into take-off mode. Or would have, if he was able to do more than just lie there and take it like a lump. As it was, he kind of ended up mentally humping the hand, which was nowhere near as satisfying as the real thing.

He must have been making some kind of noise because a moment later, the pillow beneath Renji's head moved a little and Kuchiki-taichō's voice said close to his ear, "I know you won't remember but I'll make this up to you, Renji, somehow. Now sleep."

Reiatsu cascaded into Renji's body, calming and lulling, driving his mind under into an odd fug of semi-awareness. It was like being drunk, or half asleep, or on some of the really good drugs from the 4th. Kuchiki's voice followed him down, still speaking, "If it weren't for Rukia, I wouldn't- but I can't risk- Please understand, I gave my word. There is no other choice."

And Renji did. Despite everything, he did get it. The ache in Byakuya's voice told Renji all he needed to know. Hunger of that sort was something Renji was intimately familiar with and he'd done some terrible things in the past to make it go away. Up to and including taking a life.

So was he any better? Renji didn't know for certain. All he knew was the unfairness of the now. Of his will being silenced as his body was coaxed with gentle touches and ripples of power into a reaction he couldn't resist.

Time spun out. Fingers and mouth traced the marks on his body, scars and tattoos alike, lighting up spots Renji hadn't even known were sensitive. A low voice murmured in continual accompaniment, reassuring and lulling, telling Renji he was beautiful and sexy, as fire built under Renji's skin, answering the siren's call until arousal slowly brought parts of his body back to life.

Eyes fluttered blindly open, fingers flexed, and Renji could finally clutch at the bedding. Sweat gathered, pooled and ran, muscles across his belly leapt and twitched under deep sucking kisses, and beneath it all, power throbbed like shimmering heat under his skin.

It was going to happen again. Renji was going to have his reiatsu leeched away, and tomorrow he would wake with a voracious appetite and no memory of what had occurred.

It was so unfair. If the captain just asked, this could be a two way street. Renji would have his fingers tangled in Byakuya's hair. He would be returning his kisses properly and, if it was what the captain needed, Renji would give the reiatsu as a gift.

Zabimaru raged in the back of Renji's mind. Renji's throat clicked as he fought to speak, tears of sheer frustration gathering at the corners of his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. With the next breath, a sound suspiciously like a sob burst from his chest.

"Renji?" Movement; the shifting of cloth, the ghosting of breath on his face and the flicker of a shadow in darkness. A thumb brushed tentatively against his cheek followed by a whispered, "I am despicable."

Whatever Kuchiki had been doing, suddenly stopped. The aura of power around them dropped away to nothing, leaving Renji shivering in the chill night air. A moment later Renji was the only one on the bed and a cover was pulled up over him. The captain was gone.

Damn it! "Tai-chō," he gasped, his chin jerking down as he tried to turn his head.

"I apologise, Renji, my behaviour has been unforgivable. But you have my word, I will not come near you again."

No! That wasn't what Renji wanted. Byakuya didn't have to leave, just offer a bit of give and take! Another twitch and Renji managed to get his eyes open far enough to catch a glimpse of a dark figure crossing the room before the door slammed open and the sudden light blinded him.

Even so, there was no mistaking the steel in Kuchiki-taichō's tone when he said, "Take him home. I've changed my mind."

"Ya sure?" Ichimaru's reply came low and sly. "Ya can't deny ya instincts, Kuchiki, no more than any of us can."

"Then I will find another way. Once was bad enough. To use him again would dishonour us both."

Renji couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kuchiki-taichō regretted what he'd done?

It wasn't the personal apology that Renji was looking for but he'd take it as a starter. And it made him even more determined to put this right. His captain needed help and it was up to Renji to supply it.

"Ya gonna keep him around?" Ichimaru was asking. "It ain't gonna be easy, temptation like that under ya nose day in, day out."

"And you're suggesting what? That I ruin the career of a first class soldier because I made a mistake? If you believe I would do such a disgraceful thing, then you don't know me half as well as you think you do."

The door slammed shut. Silence reigned for a long moment and then Ichimaru murmured quietly. "Eh, Kuchiki-sama, I know ya better than ya know yourself. Keep her safe, ya hear me." A second later the cover over Renji whipped back and a cold bony hand pressed hard against his solar plexus, the fingernails digging in like claws. "And what about you, Abarai-kun? Ya willing to forgive and forget?"

Renji coughed a growl and did his best to move away from the intrusive hand as it slid down his belly leaving hot lines in its wake. It was pointless and all he managed was an awkward wriggle that made Ichimaru snicker a high pitched laugh that sounded almost like an animal's. "Guess I'm the wrong kinda demon, ne?"

Demon? This time Renji's eyes opened easily, and when he saw what was hunched over him, he rather wished they hadn't.

It was still recognisable as Ichimaru, just. The grin was still there, but it was now on a furred muzzle that came complete with a dripping tongue lolling between two rows of sharp teeth. And that wasn't the most disturbing thing. Behind Ichimaru's head, Renji could see tails. Silver fox's tails, and he didn't have to count them to know exactly how many there were. Kitsune.

Zabimaru roared to the fore at the sight of the demon he'd been aching to challenge for so long, and Renji was in no position to stop him. He caught a glimpse of shocking sky-blue as Ichimaru's eyes opened in surprise, and then nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

Ow. No matter how much you drank, rocks never made a comfortable bed. Of all the life lessons Renji should have learnt by now, this one never seemed to sink in.

Shifting, he winced as a particularly determined pebble ground against his ribs. Bruised ribs from the feels of them. He must have tied one on with Ikkaku again. Shit, what had possessed him to pull a dumb stunt like that? The hangovers were the worst.

And what the hell was that smell? Pungent and musky, like a combination of cat piss and someone who really needed a shower.

Abandoning the unequal struggle, Renji rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. The sky was blue and clear with hardly a cloud to be seen. Which told him it had to be early morning, otherwise he'd be crispy fried by now since he didn't seem to be under any shade.

With a grunt, he sat up and found himself squinting at a collection of ramshackle buildings standing beside a dusty track. Shadowy figures flitted from one to the next and yelling followed hard on the heels of the sound of breaking wood. It was horribly familiar in a 'nightmare childhood' kind of a way. What the hell was he doing all the way out here? And more to the point, how had he managed to survive the night with all his limbs attached and his clothes still on his back.

Correction, his sleeping yukata.

Renji glared down at the pink-flowered garment and plucked at it in confusion. Shit, he must have really been drunk last night to go out wearing this. No sandals either.

Contemplating the return journey with a sinking heart, he turned to check for Zabimaru and let out a loud squeak - that was in no way unmanly - because, sprawled on the ground beside him was a massive white furry beast. With purple stripes up its limbs and a snake for a tail.

At least now he knew where the smell was coming from. And how he'd managed to survive the night on the outskirts of Inuzuri.

"Zabimaru?" Renji said, leaning forwards to check that it was in fact his zanpakutō. Sure he'd met the nue in his inner world before, but that was there and this was here.

The snake's tongue flickered out in response and the baboon snored gently; both were fast asleep. That was good, Renji guessed, when a brief inspection showed no obvious injuries. But what were they doing out here? And… wasn't there something significant about your zanpakutō manifesting?

Pressing a hand to his spinning head, he cast his mind back to the few hints Ikkaku had dropped about how to move forward with his training.

His eyes widened and he turned to stare at Zabimaru as the memory came back. "Bankai?" Was that what they'd been doing out here? Training for bankai?

It would explain the bruised ribs and the headache, which seemed less and less like a hangover the longer Renji was awake. He felt like he'd gone a couple of rounds with… Zabimaru actually. Something big and with a punch like a truck anyway.

"Oi!" Renji called, and poked the nue in the shoulder. The snake tail struck at him, but he was too used to that tactic to get caught.

He ducked and grabbed it behind the head before it could try again. It hissed unhappily at him, tongue flicking its displeasure. Renji ignored it in favour of asking, "Bankai? Did we get there?" Because it would be just his luck to miss the most important moment in his life because of- What?

Okay, so that was odd. Thinking back, Renji remembered going to Hisagi to borrow his room for the night. Setting his stuff up. And then… Nothing. A great honking blank where the rest of the night should be.

Had Kuchiki-taichō got him again?

Renji frowned to himself. He didn't feel like his reiatsu had been drained. If anything it felt better, stronger than before, and infused with this kind of wild power.

The snake hissed irritably, and Renji realised he'd been gripping it a bit too tight. When he let go, he also realised that the snoring had stopped and that pupil-less yellow eyes were now fixed on him.

"You're thinking too loudly," the baboon grumbled, and yawned pointedly, its finger-long teeth giving the impression of lengthening as its lips curled back.

Renji watched in appreciative pride. No matter how many times he got to see Zabimaru in the flesh, as it were, he never got over how strong and powerful they were. And to think they were part of him. That thought always made his head lift and his shoulders go back just that little bit.

The loud fart that followed a moment later took the shine right off that feeling.

Renji sighed. "So did we make bankai?" he asked. The baboon part was normally a better bet for conversation than the snake.

"Fuck you," the snake hissed, curving up over the baboon's broad back.

Case in point, Renji thought. The baboon stared at him, one hand slowly scratching its chest, before blinking and saying, "We do not remember."

"How the hell can you not remember?" Renji snapped back, before remembering that, yeah, actually he didn't so there was no reason Zabimaru would either. He pressed his fingers into his eyes, and willed his everything to stop hurting. "Sorry. That was out of line."

There was a sound of scrabbling and then a big head butted against his shoulder. Renji turned his face towards thick fur and clung on, trying in vain to sort through his memories for some clue as to what might have happened.

"You are hurt," the baboon said. Renji felt its voice rumble deep in its massive chest.

He shrugged. "Nothing bad."

"No. But it does offer a clue."

"Yess, that he got beat up. Again."

As usual both heads were right. Renji did a quick inventory. "I'm not cut, so it wasn't a sword fight." He didn't feel punched either, not really. The bruises left by human-sized fists and feet were deeper and more focused. If anything he felt like he'd been working out for too long. Much too long. His muscles felt simultaneously stretched to tearing point and tied in knots.

"I dunno," he said, shaking his head. Fur scratched against his hair, which Renji now realised, was loose. This was getting weirder and weirder.

A familiar tingle of reiatsu made him glance up. Fluttering about six foot above his head was a hell butterfly and swaying slowly in place just below it, the snake-tail. Its body was at full stretch and its tongue flickered rapidly like it could will the butterfly those few inches closer. Every now and again the butterfly shed a small shower of glowing reishi, forcing the snake tail to weave out of the firing line or risk being hit.

A beastly stand-off in other words.

Renji and the baboon exchanged exasperated looks and then the baboon reached up with one hand and yanked on the snake-tail. It zipped downward with a rattling hiss as Renji climbed to his feet and claimed the butterfly.

"Message for: Abarai Renji, fukutaichō 6th division," it said. Not surprisingly it was Byakuya's voice that followed, though there was an odd note to it that Renji didn't recognise.

"Report to headquarters immediately," it said, "We're assigned to apprehend a criminal in the Living World and return them to Seireitei for execution."

An odd task for the captain and lieutenant of squad 6, Renji thought, but Kuchiki-taichō hadn't finished. A moment later and much more quietly, he added, "Renji, hurry. The one we're being sent to fetch, it's Rukia." His voice cracked on the name and Renji felt the pain of it like a sword in the belly.

He needed to be there, now.

Zabimaru's heads bowed and, hand closing into a fist, Renji forced the spirit back into himself. It was a tight and awkward fit, like Zabimaru was too big to go back inside, but Renji swallowed down every scrap of them until only the sealed blade remained in his hand. Then he stepped into shunpo. Whatever had happened to make Central sentence Rukia to death, Renji would get to the bottom of it, and when he did, he would make whoever was responsible pay.

*

The next couple of weeks passed in a maelstrom of betrayal and violence. Renji, and those he cared about, came so close to death so many times that, by the end of it, everything else that had happened, in the past couple of decades it felt like, lost any significance.

But sitting here, watching his bandage-swathed captain stare out of the 4th division window, Renji had to acknowledge that it wasn't all bad. Rukia was alive and closer to her brother than ever before. Soul Society was still in one piece, mostly, and had a new supporter cum substitute shinigami in the form of Kurosaki Ichigo.

And Renji?

Renji finally had bankai.

He also had some of his memories back. Courtesy of Ichimaru Gin.

The rustle of cloth from the bed drew his attention. Renji glanced over at Byakuya, and frowned. Even for a guy who was normally as white as a sheet, Byakuya looked pale. If he was part demon as well, like Renji and Ichimaru, shouldn't he have bounced back by now?

Or maybe he was like one of those vampire things, and had to feed off someone else to heal up. That would make sense, Renji thought. Which put the ball straight back in Renji's court, didn't it.

But what could he say? 'Hey, taichō, I know all about you and sex, so ya wanna come over sometime and suck out my reiatsu?' Yeah… no.

Instead, he leaned forward and said, "I never thanked you for stopping that night."

For a second he thought Byakuya hadn't heard him and then flat grey eyes turned on him. "You remember?"

Unable to meet his gaze, Renji dropped his eyes to his hands and nodded. "Ichimaru did it, up on Sōkyoku Hill. When he was fixing this." His fingers drifted to his neck and the barely healed scar that ran from the front of his collar bone, right across his throat and almost to his spine.

By rights, Renji should have bled out. Even with his strength, he would have, if Ichimaru hadn't stepped in and hit him with a blast of healing reiatsu. "I never even knew the guy could do that sort of shit," he continued, knowing he was rambling but not able to stop himself, "though I guess it makes sense, with Kira being around him for so long. Bit difficult to rub elbows with someone as good as him and not learn something, even if you're a fox-demon."

He looked up just in time to catch Byakuya's flinch at the final words. Was he ashamed of what he was? That seemed a bit stupid to Renji. No one could help being what they were, it was what they did with it that counted.

Like Ichimaru. That was confusing. Renji had had him pegged as a bad guy for years, something him turning out to be a traitor had simply confirmed. But if he was evil, why'd he healed Renji up some and given him his memories back. It didn't make sense.

Unless he thought that allowing Renji to remember what Byakuya had done to him would drive a wedge between Renji and his captain? Yeah, that sounded exactly like the sort of thing Ichimaru would do.

Well, if that was what he was aiming for, he got his trajectories all wrong. Far from being mad, Renji was curious and more than willing to help, if Byakuya needed him. From what he now remembered of that first time, a repeat performance with Renji actually in on the action rather than mostly off his head, would be more than worth the effort.

It had been a blow-job, and Renji's imagination hadn't done reality justice. Byakuya was fucking beautiful on his knees and Renji knew that even if he couldn't persuade Byakuya into another round, he'd be using that first time as jerk-off material for the rest of eternity.

Plus he was itching to really see Byakuya's wings. He thought they were like a bat's but his memory of anything outside of the physical sensations was still clouded.

"I'm sure you wish I was dead," Byakuya said suddenly.

Renji jerked in his seat, "No way!" The captain looked unconvinced, his eyes fixed on the end of his bed like he couldn't bring himself to look either at Renji or out at the clear blue sky. He seemed so down that Renji added, "If you were dead, who'd I have to get stronger for, eh?"

It didn't seem to help. If anything Byakuya just looked sadder. Maybe if Renji told him that, far from being upset, he was up for another go. Surely if he saw Renji was willing, that would perk him up a bit, wouldn't it? And now the subject had come up, it wouldn't be so far out of left field.

"Taichō…?," he began, only for Ichigo to damn nearly throw himself through the window on top of Byakuya's bed, yelling, "Renji!"

For fuck's sake, did the kid not have a scrap of discretion? Renji stopped him with a head-butt and a snarled, "Keep yer voice down, you dickhead!"

Ichigo just looked confused, but if he hadn't cottoned on that yelling around sick people was out of line, Renji wasn't about to educate him. "What the hell do you want anyway? I was just about to say something important and you interrupted."

"Sorry," Ichigo parroted back like a idiot, and then got all serious, "D'you know where Rukia went?"

"Huh?" Renji replied. The last he'd heard, she'd said something about going to sort some business out, but if Ichigo knew something he didn't, "What's happened to Rukia?"

"Oh, well I guess if you don't know," Ichigo began, only for another ginger head to appear at the window beside him.

It was the wacky healer princess. Predictably the conversation took a totally bizarre turn and a couple of moments later, they were both gone, shooting off across Seireitei at top speed.

"Where the hell are they off to now?" Renji muttered. He considered yelling after them to try the Shiba compound, except this was the 4th and people didn't raise their voice around here if they knew what was good for them.

"Renji?" Byakuya said worriedly a second later, pulling Renji's attention away from the fleeing pair.

"Taichō?" Renji turned towards him eagerly. If this was about Rukia, he'd do his best to reassure Byakuya she was fine. Better, if it was about the demon thing, maybe he could finally get out what he'd been trying to say earlier.

"Do you think boy intends to make a habit of calling me by my first name?"

It was such a non sequitur considering their conversation from before that, for a moment, all Renji could do was gape, and then it was too late. The door opened and Unohana-taichō said, "This is a place of rest and recuperation, Abarai-fukutaichō. If you cannot keep your voice down, you will leave."

Renji opened his mouth to tell her it'd been Ichigo shouting not him, but before he could, Byakuya said, "Yes, go Renji. There's nothing you can do here."

Faced with two captains telling him to leave, Renji had no choice. Silently cursing Ichigo for being a cock-blocking bastard, he dipped a bow to Byakuya and walked out, following Unohana-taichō down the corridor.

As he left, he glanced back at Byakuya, who was staring at his hands like they were someone else's. In the bright sunlight, he looked paler than his bandages and Renji couldn't help but worry.

Taking a couple of jogging steps to catch up to Unohana, Renji said, "I know it's private and stuff but, is he gonna be okay?"

She glanced back at him. "I'm sure if he gets all the rest he needs, he'll be fine."

She was giving him the brush-off. Renji bit back his irritation and tried another tack. “I know what he is and what he did to me, and if he needs to do it again-"

A terrifyingly strong hand gripped his arm, silencing him immediately. Renji squinted down at Unohana, who was looking along the corridor towards the general ward area. Once she seemed happy that no one had heard them, she raised her eyes to him and said, "Follow me if you please, Abarai-fukutaichō."

*

Instead of leaving the building, they headed further in. After a minute or two, Renji recognised the corridor where he'd come for his physical and, damn, that little episode made a whole hell of a lot more sense looking back on it.

Halfway down the next corridor over, Unohana led him into an office. 

"He sent me for that exam in case he'd damaged me, didn't he," Renji demanded, the second the door closed behind them.

Unohana raised one elegant eyebrow and gestured to the chair in front of the desk. The other, behind it, she took herself. 

Huffing a frustrated breath, Renji did as he was told. There was no point in arguing. It wouldn't get him what he needed any faster.

After a moment to compose herself; hands folded in front of her, eyes closed; Unohana said, "Over the years, many of the Gotei's strongest captains have been either all or partly demon."

"Not exactly news-" Renji began.

Unohana opened her eyes and Renji's words shrivelled to nothing on his tongue. They were black. Pure black, like windows into hell. 

He swallowed and forced himself not to lean back. He'd thought she meant like himself; a demon on the inside, sharing the space with something almost human. Looking at her now, Renji was pretty sure there was nothing human about Unohana at all.

Another blink and her eyes were back to their normal pretty blue. 

"The vast majority are souls from the outer reaches of Rukongai," she continued, like she hadn't just scared the crap out of him. "By the time they reach Seireitei, they have fought and conquered their demonic instincts enough to function passably well amongst humans." 

Or are so powerful that allowances are made, Renji thought, his mind conjuring up images of Zaraki on a rampage. 

Unohana hadn't finished. "Of those few born within the walls, most are true-bred monsters and must be put down immediately lest they destroy those around them. Others appear to make connections and build friendships, only to succumb to their true natures later in life. In all of the history of Seireitei, a mere three have conquered their instincts enough to achieve senior rank in the Gotei. Of those, one is-"

"Kuchiki-taichō," Renji finished for her, sorting through his mind for the others and coming up with too many possibles. 

"As you say," Unohana agreed, inclining her head. "And yes, you were sent to me to ascertain if there had been any ill effects after your more intimate exposure to Kuchiki-taichō. As captain of the 4th division, it falls to me to monitor all those he associates with."

As a healer, or as a fellow demon, Renji thought, suppressing a shudder at the memory of those eyes. What in the gods' names was she? 

Something older than forever and just as terrifying, he was sure. Not like his own nue, which was just a baby by comparison. 

"This information is, of course, strictly confidential. Should anyone hear of it-"

"They won't," Renji assured her before she could get started on the threats. "Not from me, anyhow." 

Renji never hid his own demon. Zabimaru wouldn't let him; it seemed to be in their nature to tell the truth, whatever the cost. Then again, most people didn't take him seriously. They'd laugh and call him a beast and that was that. 

Only one had ever believed him, and that had been a huge part of what held them together for so long. Rukia knew exactly what Renji was on the inside and had never turned away.

Most shinigami didn't feel like that. To them, demons came in only just above hollows, and finding out some of their captains were those same monsters masquerading as humans would send half of them screaming for the hills. 

And the rest? Well, they might just be stupid enough to try taking the demons down, so no, Renji wasn't about to start spouting his mouth off. Civil war didn't strike him as a fun pastime, plus more disruption was the last thing anyone needed on the heels of the traitors being revealed.

Had Aizen been one of the other demons born in Seireitei? Ichimaru was definitely a kitsune, so it wouldn't be too far fetched to imagine Aizen and Tōsen were demons too. But eh, it was all pure conjecture, and none of it answered Renji's real concern. 

"What about Kuchiki-taichō?" he asked. "Is he gonna be okay? He seems, I dunno, really down." Like he'd given up, though Renji was too scared of that being true to voice it aloud.

"Physically, he is healing well," Unohana said, then her voice took on a harder edge. "However, I am worried about his well-being in the long term. He came extremely close to dying. In fact, such were his injuries that, if it had not been for his fight with you earlier in the day, we would undoubtedly have lost him. Even with the extra infusions-" 

"Woah!" Renji held up a hand. "Back up a bit. What d'ya mean if it hadn't been for his fight with me?"

Deceptively calm blue eyes rose to meet his own. "Battle is one way for Kuchiki-taichō to acquire the extra reiatsu he needs. Preparing for it is instinctive for him and an intrinsic part of the way he fights. Thus, after engaging you, he was able to supplement his own reiatsu quite quickly and efficiently, leaving him with an excess when he faced the ryoka boy."

"Battle-? But-" Renji felt his cheeks heat, "I thought he did it with, you know, sex."

"Orgasm also serves to create the necessary point of emotional and physical vulnerability, yes."

Emotional and physical…? That was what all that crap about class and stuff was about while they were fighting? A strategy to get Renji mad so Kuchiki could steal his reiatsu. Damn it! It had worked really well too. "So he could get it from just sparring?"

"Sparring, no. He must bring his opponent to the verge of death in order to take what he needs. And none but a demon soul would survive the experience."

Renji had, just. And it wasn't something he'd fancy trying again. "Guess it's not as easy as just turning him and Zaraki loose together then," he said with a huff of laughter. 

That was met with stony silence and a chilling of the room that made Renji's skin crawl. Unohana stared at him, silently, until Renji broke eye-contact with a flinch. "Right, so no fights to the almost death," he muttered, "I guess that takes us back to sex." It could be worse, he guessed. It wasn't like he hadn't already made up his mind to offer.

"Pro tem it may be possible to source the power elsewhere. I myself-" Unohana began. 

More concerned with the plan starting to reveal itself in his mind than what she was saying, Renji put in, "Let me help. I'm up for it and we all know he can't hurt me, so tell him to take what he needs to fix himself up."

Unohana cocked her head slightly. "You would permit this? Even knowing how it will happen?"

"Sure, why not," Renji shrugged. "He's an okay guy. And like I said, it ain't like he can kill me. Guess I've got enough demon myself to stop that happening."

"That does appear to be the deciding factor," Unohana said with a frown. "However I fear it may be difficult to persuade Kuchiki-taichō to partake, even with your express consent."

"And if he doesn't?" Renji asked, glancing up, because it was the one question he really really needed an answer to. "If he-" What was it Ichimaru had called it? "Starvation rations. What if he just sticks to that?"

Unohana's brows drew into a frown. "Then, Abarai-fukutaichō, I am very much afraid he will die."

No way. Not on Renji's watch, and not if Renji could do anything to stop it happening.

Absolute determination welled in Renji's chest. "In that case, I guess we're just gonna have to not give him the choice."

It wouldn't be that easy, of course, and Renji wasn't stupid enough to think so. But going by the approving smile which now graced Unohana-taichō's face, he wouldn't be going into this alone.


	5. Chapter 5

"Again, Abarai-fukutaichō?"

Full name and rank. And, was that a tick starting beneath Byakuya's eye? 

Keeping a tight hold of his hakama, the only item of clothing between himself and nudity, Renji ruthlessly bit back a triumphant smirk and said, "My humblest apologies, captain. I didn't move fast enough and the stuff just ate straight through my shirts."

It wasn't really a lie. Except that Renji had stayed in the line of fire on purpose once he'd seen what the stuff did. And he'd been wondering how to get rid of his clothes today. Turned out, walking past the 12th at the just the right moment worked a charm. Just like all the others.

So far this week he'd had a run in with a hollow, a kidō training accident, a newly seated officer's shikai malfunction and an ill-timed collision with a cook carrying a large pan of cold cooking oil. 

And each time, as per rules and regulations, Renji had presented himself at his captain's office to ask for permission to go get a new uniform from stores. 

As Unohana had suggested, being faced with a half-naked Renji on a daily basis was starting to take its toll. Kuchiki-taichō was still pale, but the lifelessness had gone from his eyes. Now when they looked at Renji, they burned with a fierce hunger, and last night, Renji had felt that familiar reiatsu lurking on the roof opposite his room.

It was probably time to break out the big guns.

Faking a massive yawn, which meant having to let go of his trashed hakama on one side so he could politely cover his mouth, Renji said, "If it's okay with you, sir, I'll take the rest of the day off too. I've not been sleeping well and thought I might try one of Isane's powders again."

The captain didn't answer. He seemed hypnotised by the newly exposed expanse of hip and upper thigh Renji had revealed by releasing his hakama. 

Yes! It was working.

A quick wiggle and the hakama slipped further. A flush rose across Byakuya's cheeks and Renji was all about celebrating the victory until suddenly Kuchiki-taichō said, "I hope you are not thinking to seduce me with this wanton display."

Renji gaped. "What- no? I wasn't-!"

Grey eyes chilled and lips thinned. "You will do me the courtesy of not lying, nor treating me like an inadequate fool." Kuchiki-taichō rose to his feet and began gathering papers from his desk with quick snapping motions. "Whatever you and Unohana may think, Abarai, neither of those things are true, and I will not be forced into taking an action I find dishonourable in the extreme."

Renji had been backing away until he heard that last bit. It was enough to send him surging forwards. "But it's not. I volunteered, I don't mind-"

"You are in no position to make that decision!" Kuchiki-taichō blasted over the top of him.

Renji bristled. "Screw that. You think because I'm from Rukongai, I don't know what I'm getting into?"

Frown lines furrowed Byakuya's brow. He stopped moving documents and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes closed and lowering his head a little. "Renji, no, that's not what I'm saying."

"Then explain," Renji demanded, "because that's sure what it sounds like to me."

For a second Renji thought he was going to be denied and then Byakuya let out a barely audible sigh, placed the papers back on the desk and sat down. "My… abilities, my curse, if you will, not only drains reiatsu from my victims, it also bewitches them. After we become intimate, they are filled with a desire to stay close by my side.

"Hisana-" The captain paused, an expression of utter agony crossing his face before vanishing under emotionless cold. "You must understand that, before her, no one knew. After my uncle, the shame of my birth was too much. It drove my grandmother to use forbidden kidō to conceal my true form and nature, and she took the secret of it to her grave. Later, the deaths - my mother, father, even my grandfather - were explicable through other means, and so no one guessed. 

"And then there was Hisana." Byakuya pressed his hands flat to the desk, to stop them shaking Renji suspected, before continuing, "When we met, she was so strong. Much stronger than Rukia is now, and yet she'd chosen not to become a shinigami. She'd shunned Seireitei and Academy, choosing to spend her days travelling Rukongai in search of her sister. And yet, after our first time together, when I asked her to marry me, she agreed without demur." Pained eyes flashed up to meet Renji's. "How could that be, if I had not bewitched her? And yet, in my arrogance, I still didn't see. Not until she died in my arms did I suspect anything was wrong and by then it was far too late.

"So, Abarai-fukutaichō, you will forgive me if I do not allow another, even one as strong as yourself, to become embroiled in this vileness."

That was his reasoning? Hell of it was, Renji could see the logic of it. Except for one thing. "She might just have fallen in love with you," he said.

Byakuya's head jerked like Renji had struck him. "She did not."

"How d'you know that? She-"

"Because she confessed as much on her death bed."

Renji winced. Ouch. No wonder this was a tender subject. "Okay, so maybe you put the whammy on her. What makes you think you've done the same to me?"

This time Byakuya's expression took on a pitying cast. He gestured to Renji's state of undress, saying, "Look at yourself. Displaying your body in an attempt to entice me to bed. I'm certain no such thought would have crossed your mind before I had you."

Arrogant know-it-all bastard! Temper rising, Renji leaned forward, slamming both hands down on the desk as he snapped, "Then you'd be wrong, Kuchiki-sama, because I've been thinking about fucking your lily white ass since forever. And believe me that was a long time before you 'had me'."

That earned him a double take of epic proportions. Unmoved, Renji held his ground, breathing hard, his face less than a foot from his captain's until, a few moments later, Byakuya blinked at him and offered the weakest come back ever. "You didn't say anything." 

It took the wind right out of Renji's sails. He'd been gearing up for a fight and now, nothing. Feeling more than a bit turned around, Renji huffed and stood up, only just catching his hakama before they dropped off his hips completely. "Yeah well, I didn't think you'd go for it, did I."

"Are you sure?" Byakuya asked. He'd steepled his hands in front of his face and, as Renji glanced over at him, the light seemed to do the wings trick again.

Renji swallowed thickly and gave a short nod. "Absolutely positive." It might have taken him a few years to admit to it, but the feeling had been there from the day Byakuya had stolen Rukia away. Back then it had been mixed in with a healthy dose of killing intent, but that bit had faded over time.

"Why did Unohana not mention this when she told me about your willingness to become a… donor?"

Now they were getting onto dodgy ground. "Because I didn't tell her," Renji replied defensively, and how had Kuchiki-taichō managed to turn this on its head so quickly? One moment Renji was the one in charge and now he was right on the back-foot again, damn it. 

The captain's gaze sliced into Renji's core making him feel more naked than any lack of clothes ever could. "Because?" 

"I didn't think you'd go for it," Renji mumbled, and then, chin lifting, he punched his hand into a fist at his side and added, "An Inuzuri stray ain't exactly a good catch for a noble, you know what I'm saying?"

"Inuzuri-" Kuchiki-taichō began, and then shook his head, brows pinching again. "Renji, that means nothing to me. Half of the people I love came from Inuzuri. Of course I would have welcomed the approach, you are my lieutenant. And even before, when you were still serving at the 11th-"

"You'd noticed me back then?" Renji asked and it sounded totally pathetic, like a puppy begging for attention, but he couldn't help the plaintive note that crept into his voice. 

Rather than answer, Kuchiki-taichō stood up and came around the desk. For a second Renji thought he'd fucked up and that he was going to get thrown out, but three quick steps brought Byakuya to Renji's side and then a hand, cool and slim and calloused from years wielding Senbonzakura, smoothed across Renji's cheek. 

"I noticed you from the moment you barged into that meeting back at the Academy. How could I not? Your strength, your beauty, your tenacity. If I had felt surer of myself, I would have taken you then and there."

The fingers faltered. Renji raised his own hand to capture them and placed a deliberate kiss on Byakuya's palm. Eyelids fluttered for an instant before Byakuya continued, "But I dared not. My powers were only tenuously controlled. If it hadn't been for my promise to Hisana… and even then I had to keep Rukia at arm's length for fear of hurting her. But you, Renji, would have been too much of a temptation."

Renji huffed a low laugh. "You're making me sound like something special," he said, rough voiced. The words were cutting surprisingly deep, opening him up in places he'd thought well-protected. And the captain's scent, all fresh blood and hot steel, seemed to invade all his vulnerable parts until his head spun. 

Byakuya's other hand came to rest on Renji's chest and Renji felt his heart swell and pound at the touch. A shivery heat started up under his skin.

"Oh, but you are special," Byakuya was saying as he leaned closer. His breath warmed Renji's face with each exhalation. It tasted of spices and everything forbidden. "Beautiful, strong, powerful." Their lips met, brushed so briefly it felt like a dream, the most amazing incredible dream, and as the kiss deepened, Renji was lost.

When Byakuya pulled away, Renji followed with a sad, almost desperate sound, but there was no mercy for him. Byakuya's finger pressed against his lips instead and murmured words washed across Renji's hearing. "A more private location will be preferable, I think." 

The next moment the light in the room faded away. Shadows piled on shadows, surrounding them in darkness, all accompanied by the snap and rustle of scarf and haori, and the world began to spin in lazy dancing circles. Some kind of teleportation kidō, like the one Tōsen had used, Renji guessed. 

As he blinked, watching the scenery morph from office to richly appointed bedroom, a rattling hiss echoed somewhere in the back of his mind. Zabimaru. 

Were they trying to tell him something? Renji frowned. All this did seem a bit familiar; the way he couldn't focus on anything, the breathless burning in his body, the way all he wanted was-

Lips found his own again and Renji returned the kiss joyfully, all thought forgotten as fingers tugged at his hair until it was freed of all restraint. It fell around his face, and the touch of it was like having the reins taken off the rest of him. 

Desire surged through his body. He clutched at Byakuya, arms tight around a trim waist pulling him so close not even a breath of air could come between them. It couldn't be allowed to. Nothing was allowed to touch Byakuya except him, not even air.

As Byakuya moved against him, nails dragged at Renji's naked skin setting off a cascade of sensations he couldn't even begin to parse. Almost choking with the frantic pace of his lust, Renji delved deep into the mouth which opened so willingly for him, stroking his tongue across Byakuya's and sliding his hands up to cup cheek and tangle in soft heavy hair.

But instead of carding easily through silken strands, something got in Renji's way. 

For a second he understood the object to be the kenseikan, which was the only logical answer, until a voice whispered, _Can't be, idiot,_ and he realised Zabimaru was right. The kenseiken were threaded into Byakuya's hair and whatever this was, it was attached way more firmly than that.

As the kiss continued, Renji's fingers traced the outline, his brain struggling to make sense of shape and texture, because what he was touching felt for all the world like an animal horn. Attached to Byakuya's head.

The hiss at the back of Renji's mind reached a rattling crescendo and with a feat of willpower he doubted he'd ever be able to reproduce, Renji shoved Byakuya away from him. 

Staggering backwards, he managed only a couple of steps before his knees collided with something soft and he toppled heavily onto luxurious cushions and quilts. The bed.

Well-honed instincts kicked in. Renji bounced back up and then froze, while his brain finally caught up with what his eyes were seeing.

Byakuya had wings all right. Black like a bat's, they rose in a graceful curve that peaked over a foot above Byakuya's head and then swept neatly down behind him. He had horns too, curling tidily back from each side of his hairline and ending in tips capped with gold. The kenseikan lay between them and now Renji could see the point of them: they kept the hair from tangling around Byakuya's horns.

But that was the only thing that remained the same. Byakuya's haori and shihakushō were both gone. In their place he now wore what Renji could only think of as a corset of deepest purple-black leather. It hugged Byakuya's body like a second skin, reaching not quite high enough at the top to cover pale pink nipples, and not quite low enough to meet the skimpiest fundoshi Renji had ever seen. 

But it was what started below all that that made Renji boggle. "Furry legs? Seriously?" Because, sure enough, from hips downward Byakuya was covered in deep brown fur. Curly and thick in places it smoothed to such a fine pelt on inner thighs that Renji longed to stroke it.

Byakuya's chin lifted and his eyes narrowed as he said, "I was under the impression you had regained your memories." The words were defiant, but under Renji's curious gaze, he looked supremely uncomfortable, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he spoke.

Renji glanced down, blinked, stared, and blinked again. 

Not feet. "Hooves!" And oops, that might have come out just a little bit too amused.

"Demon," Byakuya replied coolly, as if that explained everything. Which Renji guessed it really did. Renji was part demon, and he was furry too, albeit strictly on the inside unless he was in bankai. Though he didn't have hooves. That was so cool.

A grin tugged at Renji's mouth as he dragged his gaze back up Byakuya's body with new appreciation. He got as far as that hint of navel not quite hidden by the corset before he heard the rustle and snap that he'd always associated with Byakuya's haori and scarf in a breeze of reiatsu. 

But it wasn't them. It was Byakuya's wings shivering open slightly, and suddenly a whole load of information made a lot more sense. 

For one thing, Renji was pretty sure he now knew why Byakuya kept everyone at arm's length.

"It's an illusion, isn't it. The uniform, the scarf, all of it. You just pretend to be wearing them to cover the sounds and-"

The rest of what he was going to say remained moot as, with a single bound forwards, Byakuya bowled Renji back onto the bed and crouched over him, pinning him down. Fluffy knees pressed into the quilts on either side of Renji's waist, while his inner thighs felt the cool touch of hoof. In shocking contrast, the silky hard heat at his groin was incredible, and matched by a scent that bypassed all Renji's higher brain functions and hit him right in the libido. It took all his self-discipline not to flip Byakuya over and start fucking, right then and there.

But that wasn't what this was about. Now he finally had Byakuya where he wanted him - in a bed while Renji still had functioning brain cells, there were things Renji wanted to do. 

Swallowing back lust, Renji lifted his hand and ran a finger along the curve of Byakuya's right horn. It was surprisingly warm at the base and smooth to the touch.

Grey eyes unfocused slightly as eyelids began to flutter closed and a hand came to rest on the middle of Renji's chest. 

The second it made contact, that burning, shivery heat began under Renji's skin once again and his brain began to fuzz out. It was horrible, worse than being hit with one of Unohana's painkiller specials. 

"Ugh!" Renji grunted, gripping Byakuya's wrist and wrenching the hand away. "Don't do that!"

Byakuya sat back on his haunches and cocked his head slightly to one side in a way that, with his curled horns, made him look totally alien. "Are you rescinding your offer of power?"

"What? Hell no!" Renji protested, levering himself up on his elbows. "I just don't want you putting the whammy on me." 

"Ah," Byakuya replied, brows drawing down into a frown. "Then I'm afraid I have no idea how to proceed. The 'whammy' as you call it, is an intrinsic part of the process."

"Why? I'm offering the stuff free and gratis. You don't got to con it out of me." As he spoke, Renji reached out with his own reiatsu. He wasn't as good at it as Byakuya, but he was a lieutenant and you didn't get promoted to that sort of rank if you only had Kurosaki-levels of control. 

Reiatsu slid against reiatsu, edges as rough as their calloused skin. Slowly and deliberately, Renji caressed a line up the centre of Byakuya's chest, then spread the touch until it lay in a loose grip around Byakuya's neck, and waited for the backlash. It never came. Instead Byakuya arched into the hold, rising onto his knees. His mouth opened slightly, pink tongue darting out over lips that somehow seemed plumper in its wake. 

It wasn't the kind of invitation Renji was about to turn down. Easing a finger of reiatsu higher over chin and lip, he pressed into wet warmth. Byakuya's tongue came to greet him and, as the two caressed, Renji felt his reiatsu begin to melt away like frost touched by the morning sun. More rose to take its place, only to be drawn away in its turn, and a moan tore free from Renji's innermost core at the sensation. It was similar to Yumichika's shikai, and yet at the same time totally different. That had been a leeching, a draining of his power. This… was just as insistent, just as demanding, but more like a reiatsu blow-job. 

Memories of the first time Byakuya had come to him rushed through Renji's mind, threatening to send his body leaping straight for the finish line. Desperate to make things last, he clamped down on the flow of power and the moan came again, only this time from Byakuya. Colour flushing up cheeks and throat, Byakuya's eyes fluttered open to reveal discs of purest silver. 

He blinked and the glow faded back to grey. "Renji?" It was a throaty murmur, almost confused in its tenor. At a guess, this was first time Byakuya had ever been gifted power and if it was as good for him as it was for Renji, it had to be blowing his mind.

"It's okay. Just taking it slow," Renji croaked, reaching for him with more earthly hands. They slid up through soft thick fur only to snag on the leather of the fundoshi at Byakuya's hips. Dragging his gaze away from that beautiful face, Renji was gratified to discover ample evidence that Byakuya was as aroused as he was by this whole thing, at least if Byakuya worked the same way as more human demons did. 

Now that was a frightening thought. Maybe with the hooves and all, there was something stranger lurking beneath the fundoshi? Renji'd know for certain if he could only undo the infernal thing, except it didn't seem to have the usual knots at either front or back.

In desperation, Renji slid his hands across fur so fine and soft that it felt like silk, and eased his thumbs under the sides of the fundoshi's pouch, feeling his way where eyes couldn't penetrate. Firm heated flesh that felt as normal as any man's met his touch. Renji traced it from root to dampening tip, searching for some hidden peculiarity, but, before he could explore much further, defter, more experienced fingers tugged on the cloth, the complex twist unravelled, and finally all was revealed. 

Standing proud and pink tipped, and complemented by a matching set of balls in the usual place, Byakuya's dick was every inch as human as Renji might have wished. "Thank crap," he breathed, huffing out a small laugh of relief, which turned to real amusement when Byakuya's erection twitched in response. 

"You expected something more?"

Renji tore his gaze away and looked up to meet Byakuya's considering one. "Give a guy a break. You have got horns and hooves."

"Don't forget the wings and tail," Byakuya pointed out.

"Exact-" Renji started, then, "Hang on. Tail?"

It appeared from behind Byakuya's back like a snake and draped itself across Renji's wrist. Black and covered in the same fine black fur, it was tipped with a long tuft that was bound with a thin golden band. 

"Wow," Renji breathed again, reaching over to stroke a finger along it. 

It felt like the warmest, softest suede, and trembled under his touch. And not just the tail. Byakuya trembled too, his legs against Renji's waist, his hands against his chest, even his dick. All of him seemed to shudder under Renji's gentle caress.

"Sensitive," Renji guessed.

"Apparently so," Byakuya replied a little breathlessly.

Had no one ever touched it before? If it had been hidden until after Hisana died, they probably hadn't. Tempting scenarios of reducing Byakuya to a gooey pile of lust galloped through Renji's rapidly overheating mind and, keeping his gaze locked on Byakuya's face, he carefully brought the furry tuft to his lips and kissed it.

"Renji!" This time it was more of a cry than a moan and Renji suddenly found his arms full of desperate and extremely horny demon. Lips collided with renewed passion, fingers dug into biceps and hips ground hard and fast against each other. 

"Fuck," Renji gasped when he finally got a moment to breath.

"Yes, yes, please," came the reply, and Renji was just about to comply, to roll over and let it happen when Byakuya was above him again, this time flushed from groin to hairline, sweat beading across his skin. The corset had rucked up and pulled down, leaving it not much more than a wide belt at his waist. Renji tugged on it, hoping to pull it loose. Pretty as it was, right now he needed skin, as much of it as he could reach. The corset seemed to fall apart as soon as he touched it and Renji blinked at it in confusion until Byakuya tore it from his hands and tossed it to the floor. 

Then there was just Byakuya; smooth skin, soft fur, the warm caress of tail and the stroke of wing against thighs as he lifted himself up and without so much as a by your leave, impaled himself on Renji's dick.

Renji damned near bit through his own tongue trying not to either scream or come embarrassingly fast. Grabbing twin handfuls of fur, he shoved his head back into the pillow and managed to hang on until Byakuya just as suddenly stopped moving. Breath hissing between clenched teeth, Renji cracked open eyes he didn't remember closing and squinted up at his captain - who was gazing down at him curiously.

"What?" Renji managed to grind out.

"How is it that you are so close to orgasm when I have drawn hardly any of your power?"

Luck, and the kind of self discipline that had let him break free of Senbonzakura when he'd needed to. But now wasn't a good time to bring that up. Instead Renji opted for, "And how come you can talk in full sentences when I'm fucking you?" Temporarily releasing his grip on Byakuya's hip, he captured that lithesome tail again and give it a tug. 

Byakuya gasped in a most satisfactory way, his back arching and his whole body going rigid with what Renji hoped was pleasure. He was pretty certain it was when pearls of precum beaded on the tip of Byakuya's dick and rolled down into the dense dark fur below. 

If a gentle tug was enough to cause a reaction like that, what would Byakuya do if Renji did it harder? Was it like hair? Renji loved having his hair pulled when someone was fucking him, it turned him on something fierce. If Byakuya's tail was the same, then…

The distraction of future fun times skittered through Renji's mind for a brief second before it was his turn to moan as Byakuya ground down with his hips and did something that sent waves of sensation roiling through Renji's body. And this time it was joined by a hand coming to rest on the centre of Renji's chest again, bringing with it the tingle of desperate need.

"Please," Byakuya whispered. His eyes were closed, his face averted slightly as though he was embarrassed even to ask. 

Renji captured the hand and brought it to his lips. "I told you," he said, "You don't got to take. Not when I'm willing to give." For a second time, he reached out with his reiatsu, letting it flow over Byakuya's skin and pressing deep in other, more intimate places.

Above him, Byakuya froze for a brief second before his fingers tightened around Renji's and his eyes opened. Their gazes locked and, as Byakuya began to move, Renji started to feel that same slow drawing of power. It was amazing, so intense that his whole skin felt like it was being fucked. Like his body was a conduit for more sensation than it was ever designed to handle. And then, Byakuya's eyes changed. Light glimmered momentarily in their stormy depths followed by a flood of silver, glowing as bright as the sun on clear water. 

Between one moment and the next, Renji found himself staring into the heart of the sun, only, this time, the colour didn't stop there. It spilt from eyes and shimmered out across skin. Curled horns became a crown of light, fur glowed like newly fallen snow, and wings opened wide with a flare of silver so bright that it hurt Renji's eyes. 

He clutched at Byakuya as the rest of the room fell away, bleached to blackness by this well of light that now flooded over him too, covering him in a veil that pulsed in time with his desperately throbbing heart. A faint cry escaped his lips as Byakuya drew and drew on the power, each sucking draft sending new sensations cascading through him, gathering all of him tighter and closer to a release that seemed infinitely far away and yet so close that it haunted his every gasping breath. Everything hurt more than dying and yet at the same time Renji had never felt anything so good.

Finally it was too much. "Please." Words spun from his lips, a web of scarlet that splashed against the light and dripped down in beaded pearls. "Please. Fuck, let me come." And don't let me die. Not like this.

Something must have told in his voice. There was hesitation, a drawing back of that all-consuming pull, and then a hand, so limned in light that Renji could hardly see the shape of it, reached out and a single finger brushed against Renji's tongue. He sucked it in greedily, eyes fluttering closed as he felt rather than heard Byakuya say, "Together."

A shock like a live wire shot through him and Renji was coming, every muscle tightening as his whole body emptied itself of power and cum and breath and sound. His throat burned, his skin felt like he was about to catch on fire and yet, it was all so so good that he knew, even as tears poured from his eyes that he would do this as many times as his body and mind could stand it.

*

Cool darkness greeted him when he returned to himself, the dimness a balm to his overstretched soul. Weakly, he turned his head, wondering where exactly he was. Going by the silk kimono wrapped around him and the piles of cushions he was propped on, still in Byakuya's bedroom. And he was alone.

Renji's heart fell. He'd hoped Byakuya would still be there when he woke up. There were things they needed to talk about, not least of which was just how freaking addictive having sex with whatever type of demon Byakuya was might be.

The sound of the door pulling back made Renji struggle upright, squinting against the light that flooded in from the corridor outside. Byakuya stood just inside the door, his winged silhouette absolutely unmistakable.

"You are awake?" he asked, his tone more than a bit unsure.

"Kind of," Renji replied, forcing himself to sit up further and not able to prevent a small groan escaping his lips.

Byakuya was by his side in an instant, helping him to sit up and plumping the pillows behind him. Renji quirked a smile at this fussy side of his captain, but didn't protest. Honestly, he kind of needed the help right now.

Once he was settled, food was served. Rice, stew, pickles, meat, fish, bread. Plates and plates of it brought in by lines of silent servants. Renji applied himself diligently to making it all disappear, not realising until he got close to finishing up that the silence had continued even after the servants had left. 

Pushing aside the final, almost empty, plate, Renji focused in on Byakuya. He was sitting against the far wall, and Renji could see that the deep purple corset and fundoshi were back, either the same ones or identical replacements. But that wasn't all. 

Byakuya sat, hands folded in his furry lap, his head bowed and tail lax. Even his wings looked droopy. For a guy who, Renji reckoned, had not long ago consumed the equivalent of a ten course banquet, he seemed more than a bit subdued.

"I have sent for the relevant paperwork."

"Do what now?" Renji asked.

Byakuya raised his head slightly. "For your promotion to captain. I realise it's a little premature, however it was the only solution I could think of that would be fair to you and-"

"Hang on," Renji interrupted. "Solution to what?"

Byakuya blinked at him with eyes that had returned to their more normal cool grey. "Your transfer away from the 6th, of course."

"And why am I transferring out again?" Either Renji had missed something important when he'd passed out, or Byakuya was jumping to dumb conclusions again. Going by his previous record, Renji was betting on the latter.

"Leaving must surely be the only option after what just transpired."

"You mean the best, most mind-blowing sex of my life?" Renji grinned, and ran his eyes over Byakuya's body like he might be up for seconds. Which, for the record, he most definitely wasn't. It was going to take a while to rebuild his reserves after that. "Yeah, no. You ain't getting rid of me that easily. Sorry."

Byakuya shook his head disbelievingly. "You can't possibly mean that."

"I can and I do." It took some effort, but Renji managed to pull himself onto all fours and crawl down the bed. Once he got to the bottom, he found Byakuya waiting for him, so he rolled onto his back and grinned up at him. "See. You've not killed me yet."

"Renji, have you any idea how close I came? You were bleeding from your nose and ears. Your reiatsu had reached dangerously low levels." The note of utter frustrated disbelief in Byakuya's voice was so familiar that Renji couldn't help laughing.

"Closer than when you smooshed me with your bankai and then stole my power?" And okay, maybe he was a bit loopy with exhaustion, but even so, these things needed to be said. It wasn't like this was the first time Byakuya had almost killed him and Renji hadn't walked away from him then.

Byakuya's upside face looked appalled. "No, not quite so close as that, but Renji, the risks-"

Renji held up a hand. "That was our first outing, right? The first time I gave and the first time you got given. Plus, you almost died a week ago, so you know, I reckon glitches were kind of inevitable. Next time-"

"There will be no next time." 

The finality in Byakuya's tone brought an automatic pout to Renji's lips. "But-"

"No. I cannot possibly allow a subordinate to run such a huge risk on my behalf. It would be stupidly irresponsible, not to mention exploitative in the extreme."

"So, just sex then?"

It was difficult to tell from this angle but Renji thought Byakuya considered that suggestion for a second. Then he shook his head. "No. The temptation would be far too great."

"Bummer." Renji rolled onto his front and propped his chin on his hand. "Guess I'll have to take that promotion then."

Byakuya's gaze cut away, but his whole body seemed to shrink in on itself. "Of course. If that is what you wish, I would never hold you back-"

Ignoring him, Renji continued, "Since that way, we'll be equals and all, so you won't have to worry about exploiting me."

Byakuya's gaze flicked back to Renji, his expression hardening. "If you think you can use that as some kind of justification-"

Again, Renji talked right over the top of him. Manners had their place, but this was the only way he was going to get his point across before Byakuya talked them both out of something that could be really good.

"The way I see it," he said, "you're a captain in the Gotei and when we go up against Aizen, we're gonna need everyone fighting at full strength. Since I'm the only one you can feed off without killing, that makes it my duty to be there for you. But…" He paused, because this was the biggest thing he wanted to put over, "It's not just duty." 

Byakuya had his face averted again, eyes closed like he was trying to shut out what Renji was saying. Renji reached out, caught him by the chin and turned his face back again. "Even if you weren't a captain and I wasn't a shinigami, I'd still be here for whatever you need. You call it exploitation. I say that's bullshit, because I couldn't do anything less and still respect myself." 

Stormy eyes fluttered open, though Byakuya made no move to free his chin. "So this is simply some kind of misplaced pity?"

Nothing could be further from the truth. "Never." Shifting on the bed, Renji brought their heads level so he could finally look Byakuya properly in the eye. "Coming from Rukongai, I know what it is to starve. And I know what it is to have people pity you for it, so this ain't pity. Empathy I'd give you maybe, but it's not just that either." He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on thin lips. Byakuya didn't respond, but he didn't pull away either so Renji called it a win. "You're beautiful-"

That got a reaction. Byakuya snorted lightly and jerked away, his wings arching around him as though to cover his demonic form. Renji caught his arm gently and continued, "Wanting to be with you's not a duty or empathy or just being nice. It's selfish. I don't know what you've been told in the past, but you're as sexy as hell." He gestured, trying to indicate everything that made Byakuya who he was, from horn-tips to hooves and every scrap of fur and leather in between. "Believe me when I say it's no hardship for me loving you."

"Love?" 

Something that looked more than a bit like hope rose briefly in Byakuya's eyes, then he turned away, denial writ large. "Ah, the lingerings effects of my 'whammy' as you so eloquently put it. Eventually it will fade, I assure you." 

Was it that? Renji took a second to examine his feelings more closely. The 'whammy' was there, for sure. Sharing power with Byakuya was as addictive as all get out. But that wasn't all he was feeling by any means. When they'd started off on this crazy adventure, Renji had respected Byakuya as his captain and admired him as a beautiful man. Now, there was more. Much more. He hadn't used the word 'love' lightly. The stirrings were definitely there and Renji knew himself well enough to know that, well-tended, its roots would grow strong and deep. 

A sleepy rumble from Zabimaru only served to confirm that he was right. This time when he reached for Byakuya, he tugged hard enough to make the man tumble forwards into his lap. Catching Byakuya's face in both hands, Renji cupped his cheeks and kissed him firmly, not allowing Byakuya to pull away, though in all honesty, he didn't really try. Perhaps Renji was closer to convincing him than he thought. 

When they came up for air, Byakuya was flushed, his wings flaring behind him and that damned fundoshi was straining at its seams. Renji leaned back slightly to admire his handiwork and said, "How about we give it another go and this time try not to kill each other."

Byakuya cocked his head, and that was totally the cutest thing with his horns and everything. "Are you up to it, so soon?"

"Not the power sharing, no," Renji replied, "But sex? Hell, yes!"

Of course that was the moment his belly chose to rumble, loudly and insistently, which meant it was several hours and a lot more food later before he was able to prove that they were more than capable of enjoying one without worrying about the other.

_fine_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap. Thanks again to [ junko](http://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko) for the beta and cheerleading. Have a great Halloween all.


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